epi 003 — "the jig is up"

Episode 3: The Black Auteur Era.In this episode, we get into the era where Black filmmakers began shifting the image from representation to authorship.From Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Reginald Hudlin to the creative partnership between Robert Townsend and Keenan Ivory Wayans, we explore the rise of directors and storytellers who brought new perspectives, styles, and realities to the screen.We talk about the emergence of films like Menace II Society, Juice, and New Jack City, the rise of Denzel Washington as the first true modern Black movie star, and the impact of women in cinema, both behind the camera and in front of it, through films like Eve’s Bayou, Daughters of the Dust, Waiting to Exhale, and Set It Off.This is the era where Black cinema becomes more personal, political, regional, stylish, and self-defined, and where the filmmaker becomes part of the cultural conversation itself.